A response from West High Principal, Loren Rathert.  Mr. Rathert's responses are in blue.


Dear Mr. Rathert,

I am the parent of an eighth grader at Hamilton Middle School.  My husband attended last week's PTSO meeting about the Small Learning Communities (SLC) initiative that will be implemented at West beginning next fall.  I am writing as a follow-up to his attendance at that meeting in order to:

1) make sure our understanding of how the SLC initiative will impact on the curriculum at West is accurate (points 1-4 below);
2) request additional information about the SLC initiative (point 5 below);
3) strongly encourage you to hold an informational meeting about the plan for eighth grade parents (point 6 below).

Here is what my husband and I understand about the impact the SLC initiative will have on course offerings for the current eighth graders when they are freshman and sophomores:

1)  Ninth grade English, history and science will be the same course for all students.  Classes will be completely homogeneous with respect to SLC membership and completely heterogeneous with respect to everything else.  For example, there will no longer be any accelerated or honors classes in any of these three curriculum areas.
 
First of all, I do want the students within each SLC to be taught by a team of teachers from the academic core disciplines of math, science, English and social studies.  My goal would be that every cohort of approximately 125 9th grade students would be served by a team of one (1) principal, two (2) counselors, one (1) psychologist and/or social worker, an appropriate number of Special Education case managers and a team of teachers.  This professional team would serve the cohort of students throughout the school year.
 
9th grade English currently is the same class for all students.  There is no change planned in that curricular area.  This is a long standing program.
 
This year we have one (1) section of Accelerated Biology.  Last spring, students took an exam to gain eligibility to the class.   The top 20 students on the test were eligible for the Accelerated Biology class.  Once the school year started there remained four or five seats available in the class.  Additional students were slotted into the class based on teacher recommendations and convenience of scheduling.   The Science Department has mixed opinions whether the course should be continued.    There are a number of concerns about the Accelerated Biology course and its compatibility with the overall curricular goals of the science department.  When I spoke with the scheduling principal at the beginning of this year it was his recommendations that the course be removed from the program of study guide. Based on the total discussion I had the class removed from the course of study and the qualifying exam was not given.
 
It is important to note that we have a new teacher for the Accelerated Biology class this year.  Her experiences and expectations are different from those in the past.  In fairness to her and the program I want her opinions before I go much further.  Also, I am meeting with the Department Chair today to discuss the implications of retaining this course in our program of study. 
 
 I can assure you that there are no changes to the number of science offerings for 10th grade students.  Sophomores will still be able to choose from Chemistry, Chem. Com., Earth Science and Biology 2.  You will note that we do not offer an Accelerated Chemistry making the Accelerated Biology a rarity in the department.
 
9th grade math curriculum will still include Accelerated Algebra and Accelerated Geometry.  There is a change in the curriculum being planned.  Currently the Department uses textbook which has a formula based model of instruction .  They have decided, with District support and urging, to move to a more hands on model of instruction.  Portions of the new curriculum will be exclusively voluntary ( 4 sections of Core Plus) the remainder of the offerings save for Accelerated Algebra will be from a text called Discovering Algebra - again an experiential, hands on model.  For the details of the math curriculum you really need to speak with Dean Morse who is the chair of the math department.  He can be reached at 204-3350.     (Note from LAF:  There is a meeting to discuss the ninth grade math curriculum at West next Monday, 3/15, at 7:00. )

Ninth grade math options will no longer include "accelerated" classes in either Algebra I or Geometry; instead, all Algebra I and Geometry classes will be of the same "regular" variety.  Future plans include adding Core Plus Math (a high school version of Connected Math) as an option for ninth graders.
 
Accelerated Algebra will remain in the curriculum for this year at least.  There has been no discussion of changing Accelerated Geometry.  Core Plus will be voluntary for parents and students up to four (4) sections.  After that students will enter the regular algebra albeit with a new textbook.  There are plans under way to examine the Geometry curriculum.  This is prompted by the MMSD BOE requirements that all students complete Algebra and Geometry by the 9th and 10th grades.  Our math team is currently working on this challenge.

3)  Tenth grade English, history and science will -- once again -- be the same course for all students and -- once again -- the classes will be homogeneous with respect to SLC and heterogeneous with respect to everything else.  In tenth grade, as in ninth, there will no longer be accelerated or honors sections in any of these three curricular areas.
 
Since I have been here there has been no accelerated Social Studies/History course in the 9th grade.   (Note from LAF:  Up until last year, there was an integrated English/Social Studies ninth grade option.  Some have told me that it was more rigorous than the other options; otheers have told me it wasn't.)
 
The Accelerated Algebra will remain, as will Accelerated Geometry.  Please realize however that both these curricular areas are under examination given the MMSD BOE goals. 
 
The 9th grade English offerings will remain the same.  I've asked the English Department to examine their 10th grade curriculum in order to tell me what constitutes the core knowledge they wish to be bought.  The current breadth of offerings create the potential for a student to graduate from West High School without a breadth of courses if they fail to choose wisely.  In other words a students can graduate with little work in literature if they choose to emphasize writing for example.  Scheduling the 10th grade curriculum in the core is challenging to say the least.  I hope the English Department will come forward with recommendations over the next school year.

4)  Tenth grade math options will no longer include "accelerated" classes in either Geometry or Algebra II/Trigonometry.  Eventually, tenth grade Core Plus Math will be offered as an option.
 
I really can't speak with accuracy about the 10th grade math program since I haven't been privy to the discussions at the District level.  Most of this work is coming from the Teaching and Learning section of the District Office.  It is effecting all of the high schools. As far as I know there are no changes contemplated in Algebra II/Trigonometry.  Accelerated Geometry has not been discussed that I know of.

5)  I am interested to learn more about the SLC initiative.  Specifically, I would like to know more about the rationale for implementing such a plan at West, the problems it is designed to address (I know that increasing students' feelings of connectedness and decreasing the achievement gap are two), the goals it is intended to achieve, and evidence for its effectiveness in achieving those goals at other high schools like West.  To that end, perhaps it would be easiest if you would send me a copy of whatever you have prepared for the Superintendent and Board of Education by way of background, rationale and specific implementation details?  (My address is 2145 Commonwealth Avenue, 53726.)

Perhaps the best thing to do is share with you a copy of the grant or at least the major narrative sections.  In general, the SLC initiative is intended to maintain the high success of our students while raising the success of groups that heretofore have been undeserved or for whom the program do not seem to be working.  As you may know, the No Child Left Behind Act requires us to show yearly progress in the achievement scores of minority subgroups within the school.  If we fail to show progress the school runs the risk of becoming a school designated as being at risk.  So far we are on the bubble at least as far as the number of students participating in the testing and the percentage of students who score at the proficient and advanced level on the WKCE 10th grade exams.  My preliminary look at the upcoming scores show some promise so I think we are in the right direction.
 
We also know, as a District, that meeting the needs of undeserved students is dependent upon developing relationships with those students and gaining greater engagement on their part in the school.  Relationships and engagement are inseparable from academic achievement.  This is the thrust of  the MMSD BOE Educational Framework.  The SLC initiative at West High School is our way of implementing those goals.
 
Finally, the SLC initiative gives me the opportunity to develop a systematic and consistent response to the question of what we do when a student is not being successful.  Heretofore the answer to that question has been haphazard at best.  Over the past two years I have worked very hard to put in place a systematic review of student performance built upon collaboration between teams of staff members who can bring services to kids who are struggling.  This structure is know as our Building intervention Team.  We have one Building Intervention Team for each SLC.
 
The SLC, by linking more closely a smaller group of teachers with the core Building Intervention Team, and providing closer and more direct service to a smaller group of students will succeed in gaining greater engagement, building better relationship and ultimately improving the academic success of all students at West High School.

6)  Finally, I strongly encourage you to hold an informational meeting for parents of current eighth graders at Hamilton, Cherokee and Wright.  We are, after all, the parents whose children will be most affected as the SLC initiative is first implemented.  I trust you will agree that we deserve to have complete and accurate information at the earliest possible moment.  I believe that moment is now.  Otherwise, we will be dependent upon rumor for the next several months (rarely a good situation), the news will take many by complete surprise in the fall, and the uproar that is likely to ensue will disrupt the beginning of the new school year.

It is very important that everyone realize that the curricular changes being discussed are not connected to the SLC grant.  The curricular changes of which you speak are driven by larger District initiatives to which we must respond and be held accountable.  Granted, I believe it is important to teach a core curriculum to all students in 9th and 10th grade but nowhere does the SLC grant dictate what that core curriculum should be.  I fear that there are those who would link curricular changes to the SLC grant in order to obfuscate and deflate any effort at examining the current curriculum.
 
If the current curriculum was working we would have had much higher student achievement on the part of all students at West High School.  The data shows quite the opposite.  Therefore, in fairness to all students and families, we must continually examine our curriculum.  In that regard I support the MMSD BOE.  However, to attribute the curriculum changes to the SLC grant is spurious logic.

I should say that, as we are beginning to find out about the SLC initiative, many of us are deeply concerned about the curriculum changes being planned as part of it. It's not that we don't support the idea of creating a feeling of smaller community at West; it's that we are worried about the trade-off that is being made, in terms of academics.  That is why I decided to write to you -- to make sure that my understanding of those details, in particular, is correct.

I look forward to your reply and hope to hear about a meeting for eighth grade parents soon.

Sincerely,

Laurie Frost
 
The Mathematics Department will be meeting at the middle schools with students and parents to discuss the changes proposed in the math curriculum for next year.  If the Accelerated Biology course is reintroduced to the program of study I will let students and parents know.  I hope this information will be helpful to you as you speak with others. 
 
If a parent meeting is necessary, I believe it should focus on the curriculum since that is the focus of most of the questions.

Posted 11 March 2004